Doncaster show marks touring farewell for Sixties star Gerry

Legendary Sixties star Gerry Marsden is ready to give up touring – if not performing.

The Gerry and the Pacemakers frontman is the star turn when the Sixties Gold tour arrives in South Yorkshire – featuring artists who have clocked up more than 50 top-30 hits between them, writes Martin Hutchinson.

Vanity Fare, who scored in the latter years of the decade with hits like I Live For The Sun, Hitchin’ a Ride and Early In The Morning, will be performing, as well as backing other artists.

Love Affair’s Steve Ellis – famous for Everlasting Love, Rainbow Valley and Bringing On Back The Good Times – is one artist Vanity Fare will be backing, along with Brian Poole and The Tremeloes.

Brian was the original lead singer with The Tremeloes before leaving for a solo career.

His place was taken by ‘Chip’ Hawkes as the hits continued.

The Tremeloes topped the charts with Do You Love Me? and Silence Is Golden, while other hits included Call Me Number One, Even The Bad Times Are Good and Here Comes My Baby.

The Searchers were formed in the same year as The Tremeloes, back in 1959, in Liverpool.

They enjoyed hits galore during the Sixties, including number ones Needles And Pins, Sweets For My Sweet and Don’t Throw Your Love Away.

Headlining is Gerry And The Pacemakers, who made history as the first Liverpool band to reach number one, and were the first band to have their first three singles reach the top of the charts – a feat not equalled until the Eighties when fellow Scousers Frankie Goes To Hollywood also managed it.

“I’ve been very lucky in my career to have worked with and met so many great people, and this will be all good fun.”

Gerry Marsden

Their hits included number ones How Do You Do It?, I Like It and You’ll Never Walk Alone, as well as I’m The One and Ferry Cross The Mersey.

But Gerry says: “There is no ‘top of the bill’ really, it’s all a great team.”

However, much as he loves touring, 75-year-old Gerry says this will be his last.

“I won’t be retiring completely,” he says. “I’m going to stop doing the one-night stands. I’ve been doing it for long enough and I’m doing this one last tour as a ‘thank you’ to the fans for coming out and supporting us for all these years.”

“I’ll still be doing music, for instance my ‘Gerry Cross The Mersey’ shows will continue and I’ve been asked to write a second autobiography.”

With such a long career, Gerry has lots of stories to tell.

“I must have a million,” he says, “ t’s just remembering them all. It’s all been entertaining and that’s what it’s all about.

“It’s not like a business – it’s a fun thing.

“Highlights include our first three records getting to number one, meeting the Queen was brilliant and, of course, being made an MBE.”

“And my association with Liverpool Football Club is a great thing for me.”

Talking about the show, Gerry says: “We’ll be playing as many of the hits that we can.

“I have my favourites, such as Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying, Ferry Cross The Mersey and You’ll Never Walk Alone, but I like them all – you don’t record songs you don’t like.”

And he admits the final tour will be emotional.

““I think it’ll all be emotional,” he says, “as it’ll be the last time I play at many of these theatres, and the last one, in Leeds, definitely will.”

“I’ve been very lucky in my career to have worked with and met so many great people, and this will be all good fun.”

The Sixties Gold Tour, featuring Vanity Fare, Steve Ellis, Brian Poole and The Tremeloes, The Searchers and Gerry and The Pacemakers, is at The Dome, Doncaster, on Saturday, October 14.